Arts Guild

Inspire the Christian imagination for generations to come.Become a member artist today.

Will tomorrow’s Church be inspired “further up and further in” by a new generation of great artists?

It's up to you.

The Anselm Arts Guild is the renaissance of the Christian imagination in action. Within this local community, our members are actively working to show the truth, beauty and goodness of Christ through the mediums of visual art, music, story, and other creative means.

We believe that member artists shape the imagination of today’s Church. The vision of our Arts Guild is to provide those artists with the spiritual, technical, artistic, and social resources to grow and to touch lives.

We are looking for people who have:

A commitment to excellence, and the betterment of their craft (ineffective for Jesus is still ineffective).

A belief that good art, whether it explores joy and exhilaration or darkness and pain, is a window into truth, beauty, and ultimately, God.

A desire to improve the arts scene in Colorado Springs, and by extension the health of the Church, its members, and the unchurched.

A willingness to engage regularly with other artists. Our Guild meets on the second Thursday of every month.

As a member artist, you will enjoy:

Members-only support groups, seminars, and other opportunities to help them navigate the world of the artist (and that other world that keeps butting in on it)

Connection

Connections with other members, as well as mentoring opportunities (to learn or to teach) so that iron sharpens iron and you can hone your craft!

Apply to become an Anselm Society member artist!

If you are accepted, membership dues are $10/month or $100/year per person, or $20/mo or $200/year per group (e.g. a band). Your dues pay for all the cool members-only events, like workshops, speaker fees, room reservations, etc. See what's coming up this year!

(Applicants must be 21 years of age or older and live on the Colorado Front Range).

Apply Now

Artists Guild Application

Before you begin...

**Acceptance into the Arts Guild is contingent upon a successfully completed application, submission of samples of your work, and mandatory attendance at ONE of the monthly Anselm Arts Guild meetings.
Applicants must be 21 years of age or older, and live in or near the Front Range of the Colorado Mountains.

I understand and accept these terms

Name *

Name

First Name

Last Name

Email Address *

Artistic Field *

Visual arts

Music

Writing and poetry

Other (specify in the "message" box at the bottom)

Are you a vocational artist (i.e. do you do it, or hope to do it, for a living)? *

Yes

No

Not sure yet

Tell us about your craft. *

What do you do? Are there links to your content online so we can read, see, or hear it?

Tell us about yourself. *

Tell us about your artistic journey. Who/what has shaped you? What are you passionate about? How do you like to spend your spare time outside of creating?

Tell us about your spiritual journey. *

It doesn't have to be a stereotypical testimony, but we'd love to hear how your faith has shaped you. Do you have a denominational background? Current church? Story or two about how your faith does or doesn't relate to our craft?

What do you think is the biggest problem with the Christian arts scene today? *

Not a trick question. Is there something you deeply wish would change?

Message

Do you know anyone currently involved in the Society?

If so, list them here; if not, say no.

Please send samples of your work. *

Ideally, links to your website or articles. If you don't have anything online, use a free service like Google Drive (drive.google.com) or Dropbox and send us links to files or folders, with descriptions.

Thank you! We will review your application at our next meeting (we review applications on the first of March, June, September, December and respond by the 15th of that month).

We review applications on the first of March, June, September, December and do our best to notify applicants by the 15th of that month.

Leadership

The courage I have found since I joined Anselm has impacted my work & inner life immeasurably. Thank you (all of you) for being so weirdly wonderful.

— Member artist Mandy Houk

The Anselm Society Artists’ Retreat is one of my favorite events of the year. I soak it all in and draw on it throughout the rest of the year. The best part of it is the commissioning at the end of the day, when we’re invited to come up front (introvert horrors!) and have a prayer of blessing said over us individually. Father Ken anointed my hands, and I have no idea what he said because I was just trying not to go into the Ugly Cry. But what he said at the very end of the service was the most meaningful to me: “You are seen. You are loved. What you make matters.” For an artist who grew up in the church, which doesn’t always have the best of relationships with artists, especially ones who don’t make “Christian art” or “church art,” to be told this by someone in the church is a huge deal. Whenever I’m blocked or struggling or just telling myself that I’m too tired to write, these are the moments I look back to for strength and motivation.

Member Churches

Images on this website that are not public domain stock images are copyright (c) Lancia Smith or Richard Seldomridge. Both are wonderful photographers and we highly recommend them for your next portrait session or event.